Rotary spring-driven dry shaver



P. TOURNER ROTARY SPRING-DRIVEN DRY sHAvER oct, 8,: 1957 Filed Nov. 25.1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG] lllllll Il Il /NVENVTOK PAUL 'niumw :5RV

2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25. 1952 IILI INVENTR PAU/ TAURN 1ER E),fg.

ROTARY SPRING-DMN DRY sHAVER Paul Tournier, Monte Carlo, Monaco,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Comptoir France Etranger, MonteCarlo, Monaco, a joint-stock corporation of Monaco Application November25, 1952, Serial No. 322,479

Claims priority, application France November 27, 1951 3 Claims. (Cl.Sil-43) This invention relates to dry razors comprising a cutting pieceadapted to be driven in rotation by a motor which may be of the springtype and provided in contact with a xed grid.

It has for its object a razor of this type remarkable by its simplestructure and the easy use it requires.

A razor according to the invention is characterized by the fact that thecase containing the driving mechanism which will be preferably of thespring type, is formed with two shells removably assembled, into whichthe extremities of the various axes of the device are directly engaged.

Owing to such an arrangement, the case may be given any desired shapeallowing to grasp it properly, Which would not be possible with asleeve-shaped case into which an independent casing containing thedriving mechanism would be engaged, such as by sliding it, for instance.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention which can be carried outwhen the driving motor is of the spring type, the case is formed at oneextremity with a wider part in which the spring is housed, the cuttinghead being laterally secured in the other extremity, and with a narrowermiddle part allowing it to be properly held by the user.

The cuts of the grid will be preferably formed by groups, for instance,by threes, the cuts of one group being parallel to each other. The widthof the bridges, that is to say of the metal strips separating the cutsin one group, 4is thus constant, which increases thestrength of' thegrid and prevents breakage of the bridges in case f bending thereof.

In order to ensure a maximum operating surface of the grid, it will beadvantageous to form a hole or a small cut in the proximity of theperiphery of said grid, between two adjacent groups of cuts.

The cuts may be formed only on the substantially fiat surface of thegrid or theyl may extend to the peripheral edge thereof; the latterarrangement is particularly advantageous when it is desired to shaveoft" very tine hairs.

Also, the cuts of the grid will be preferably formed radially and theblades carried by the cutting piece form with the corresponding radiusan angle higher than ofthe range of for instance, so that said blades,as the cutting piece is rotating, perform an inwardly cutting action.

The cutting piece will be advantageously connected to its driving shaftthrough a Cardan device which allows said cutting piece to oscillate,whereby the centering of same is facilitated and, consequently, a lossof power avoided which may occur when the cutting piece is not perfectlycentered with respect to the grid.

ln the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the razor, a part of which has beentorn ofi.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the speed regulator along liuc lll-lll 0fFig. 4.

Fig. 4 is aV sectional View along IV-IV of Fig.V 3.

Fig. 5 is an axial sectionalv view of the cutting head. i

Fig. 6 is a top view of the cutting piece.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the grid.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a cut ofthe grid of Fig. 7 on a largerscale.

Fig. 9 is a perspeetiveview of a modified embodiment of the grid. v

Fig. l0 is an axial( sectionalview of the cutting piece differentlymounted.

Fig. ll illustrates how lubrication of the shafts is effected.

The razor according to the invention, illustrated on the drawings,comprises a case formed by two shells 1 and 2, assembledby means ofscrews not shown, in one extremity of which a cutting piece holder 3 isscrewed.

In the case 1-2 is mounted a pivoting winding shaft 4 about which aspring box 5 is adapted to rotate and one extremity of which can house afixed-or removable winding key. In said spring box is housed a spring 6,the ends ofV which are fastened respectively toa` catch 7 integral withthe spring-box and a catch 8 integral with the shaft 4. A` ratchet wheel9,. keyed on the shaft 4, cooperates with a pawl 10 mounted to pivotfreely on the case so.V as to prevent the shaft from rotating when thespring is set.

As shown. on Fig.f2, .themain bodyY part ofthe case that contains thespring box 5 is wider than the second curvedV part supporting Vthecutting head, `and the casing includes a neck portion, asillustratedV atla, which makes it easy to hold the razor.

The spring box 5 is integral with. a toothed Wheel 11 meshing. with apinion 12 keyedY ont a shaft 13 which carries a toothed wheel 14..y Saidwheel, in turn, meshes with a pinion 1Sv the axis of which 16 carries a1toothed wheel 17 meshing with a pinion 18 keyed on the driving shaft 19Eof the cutting piece.

On the shaft 19 is secured a centrifugal regulating wheel intended toensure for the cutting piece a constant speed. VSaid regulating part(Figs. 3 and` 4) is formed with a cylindrical piece 20 having insideofit an annular recess 21 in which are mounted. at 22 two blocks 23.

Each of said blocks is provided on its outer face with a piece of felt24 capable of rubbing against the Wall of thev cutting, piece holder 3.-A` compression spring 25 connects the tailof the blocks to the case 20.It is apparent that, under such circumstances, when the shaft 19rotates, the blocks 23 pivot about axes 22, in opposition to the actionof the springs 25 and thatY the felts 24 rub against the walls of thehead holder 3 all the stronger as the speed of the shaft 19'is higher.

On the shaft 19 is mounted with a certain clearance a socket member 26Vhaving two longitudinal slots 27- opposite to each other, engaged by theextremities of a pin 28 forced into the shaft 19. A coil spring 29 isinterposedY between Vthe bottom of the socket 26 and theextremity of theshaft 19, a ring shaped spring 30 being engaged in an annular cut madeat the bottom of the. socket member 26 and cooperating with. thevpinl 28toy prevent the shaft 19 from getting out ofthe socket under the actionof the spring 29. Itis apparent that the socket member 26 can not onlymove axially but also slantwise` and, more particularly along the pin28.

The cutting piece shown in Fig.. 6 comprises a disc 31: carrying blades32.A The disc. 31 has at the centre an` elongated aperture 33 in whichis housed a finger 34 having a rectangular cross-section, integral withthe socket member 26 and which is directed substantially at a rightangle to the pin 28. A screw 35 is screwed in the finger 34, but it doesnot bear on the disc 31 so that it holds the latter while allowing sameto move in the direction of the aperture 33, the length `of the latterbeing for this purpose greater than that of the finger 34 and, even, tomove slantwise by a certain angle with respect to the axis of the socketmember 26. VAs the socket member 26 can move slantwise or in a certaindirection with respect to the shaft 19, and as the disc 31 can move withrespect to the socket member 26 in a direction perpendicular to theprevious one, it is obvious that, in fact, the disc is connected by auniversal joint or Cardan with respect to the shaft.

As illustrated on Figs. and 6, the body of the blades 32 is inclined byan angle of about 35 in the direction of the rotation and the cuttingedge of each one forms an angle of about 30 with the correspondingradius.

On the cutting piece holder 3 is screwed a support 37 for a thin grid 3Sagainst which the spring 29 yieldingly presses the blades. As shown onFig. 7,` the cuts 39 of said grid are arranged by groups, which are ofthree cuts in the embodiment illustrated, and in one group, the cuts areparallel. Between two adjacent groups, near the periphery of the grid,is formed a hole 40 or a narrower cut.

The cuts of the grid may be formed by coating a thin plate with an acidproof ink or composition all over one side and by leaving on the otherside the places of the cuts uncoated, then dripping said plate in anacid bath. This method permits cuts having a funnel-like transversalcross-section as shown on Fig. 8.

A cap 41 having lateral cuts 42 can be fitted with a soft friction onthe grid support 37. The grid may be strengthened at the centre with adisc 42' secured to the grid with a rivet 43.

In the operation, the blades 32 can be perfectly centered with respectto the grid 38 in view of the arrangement of the socket 26 on the shaft19 on the one hand and, of the disc 31 on said socket 26, on the otherhand. As the blades 32 form an angle of about 30 with the cuts 39, theyensure an inwardly cutting action allowing for a soft cut. i

In the particular embodimentillustrated on Fig. 9, the cuts 39 extendover the peripheral edge 44 of the grid.

In the dilerent embodiment of Fig. l0, the disc 31 is mounted on arectangular-sectioned part 45 capable of pivoting about an axis 46 withrespect to a socket 47 screwed on the shaft 19. The spring 27 is placedbetween the disc 31 and a shoulder 48 of the socket 47. A pin 49 isfitted in the extremity of the part 45 and prevents same from gettingout of the disc under the action of the spring 27. The cut 33 of thedisc 31 is such that the disc can move in the direction of the axis 46and it is obvious that said disc 31 is Cardan mounted with respect tothe shaft 19.

To lubricate the various shafts of the device, one may operate as shownon Fig. l1. In said ligure, a shaft numbered 50 is mounted for pivotingat each extremity in a bearing 51, of bronze, for instance; the bearing51 is housed in a recess 52 provided for this purpose in the mass of thecase 1 and an oil-impregnated felt S3 is placed between the bottom ofsaid recess and the bearing.

Of course, the invention must not be considered as restricted to theembodiment described and illustrated and any modilication can be madewithout vdeparting from the scope of the application.

What l claim is:

l. A dry shaver comprising a casing, a driving coil spring motor housedinside said casing, a gear transmission device actuated by said motor, adriving shaft driven by said transmission device, and a cutting headcomprising a rotatable cutter driven by said shaft, in which said casingcomprises a first curved main body end part, a second curved end part ofsmaller sizes than said main body end part and an intermediate neckportion connecting said main body end part to said second curved endpart, and in which said spring motor is housed inside said main body endpart whereby said transmission device is housed partially in the neckportion and partially in the second curved end part of smaller sizes,and comprising further a fly-wheel fastened to said driving shaft in aplane parallel to that of said motor spring, a circular part of saidcasing concentric to said driving shaft, spring loaded segments hingedon said iiy-wheel, adapted to cooperate with thev inner Wall of saidcircular part of the casing in order to control the speed of saiddriving shaft, and in which said cutting head is fastened on saidcircular part of said casing, said spring motor and ily-wheeloverlapping so that the distance between their respective axes is lessthan the sum of their respective radii.

2. A dry shaver comprising a casing adapted to be grasped by the fingersof an operator, a cutting head, a portion of said casing spacing saidcutting head from the surface of said casing, rst and second shaftsspaced and parallel in said casing, a coil spring coupled at a rightangle to said first shaft for driving said shaft, said second shaftextending partly into said portion of said casing, transmission meanscoupling said first and second shafts, a rotary cutter in said cuttinghead and driven by said second shaft, and a circular speed control onsaid second shaft positioned in the said portion of said casing and in aplane parallel to and spaced from the plane of said coil spring, saidspeed control and coil spring overlapping so that thesum of their radiiis greater than the distance between said first and second shafts.

3. In a dry shaver comprising a casing, a spring motor constituted by abarrel spring housed inside said casing, a gear transmission deviceactuated by said motor, a driving. shaft driven by said transmission`device and a cutting head comprising a rotatable cutter driven by saidshaft,` the combination of a fly-Wheel fastened to said driving shaft,spring loaded centrifugal brake members mounted on said ily-wheel, and acylindrical part of said casing coaxial to said driving shaft andcarrying said cutting head, said brake members cooperating with theinner wall of said cylindrical part to maintain the revolving speed ofthe driving shaft at a constant value, said iiywheel revolving in aplane parallel to and spaced from the plane of said barrel spring andoverlapping said barrel spring, whereby the distance of said drivingshaft from the axis of said barrel spring is less than the sum of thebarrel and ily-wheel radii.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

